Amidst a tense labour dispute between the NHLPA and NHL Brass, good news broke today when it was announced that Taylor Hall had signed a seven year contract extension for 42 million dollars with the Mighty Edmonton Oilers.

According to the Oilers website:"GM Steve Tambellini announces the Oilers have agreed to terms with forward Taylor Hall on a new seven-year contract extension with an average annual value (AAV) of $6 million."

Tencer tweeted that Hall commented on his show immediately afterward "I never in my wildest dreams thought I would sign a contract for that amount." That tells you something about the magnitude of the commitment the Oilers just made.

Indeed it is a contract so large that Shawn Horcoff himself was roused by his afternoon butler from his daily nap in a bathtub full of cash to be given the news.

Ryan Whitney got so excited he mistakenly tweeted: "Congrats @hallsy04! 42 mill sheets huh? Im assuming you won't snap on me if I sneak some cactus club giftcards into a meal you pay for again" 42 million sheets is 42 billion dollars in rich guy speak, but that tells you something about the magnitude of the commitment the Oilers just made.

At least we are 99.9% sure that a sheet is a million dollars. We googled it but that was completely unhelpful.

MEMORY LANE

Remember the days when the Oilers couldn't have imagined signing a contract this big in their wildest dreams either? Remember cheering for your favourite Oiler with the knot of fear in the pit of your stomach that if he really killed it he was 99% headed to a larger market?

Right now somewhere Jordan Eberle is sitting on a bejeweled throne, calmly strumming his fingers on a desk made of SOLID GOLD.

God Bless Daryl Katz's infinite pockets and God Bless Taylor Hall.

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I love that they signed him long term and all but I do still have some worries. 6 million to a player that hasn't broke the 60 point mark and hasn't had an injury free season to date. It just worries me man,what happens if he plateaus at 60 points a season, is he still worth the contract? If he annually misses 15-20 games due to injury? Would the fans treat him the same as the horcoff contract??? Can a team afford to have 5-6 forwards on 6 mil a piece contracts? Approx 30 million will be needed on the top 5 forwards and if you factor in 2 top defenseman you are looking at somewhere in the 42 to 44 million area. That would only leave approx. 26 million for the rest of the team at the current cap. I just hope that the management team has designed a plan with all these contracts already to make it work if they don't it could get rough.

I love that they signed him long term and all but I do still have some worries. 6 million to a player that hasn't broke the 60 point mark and hasn't had an injury free season to date. It just worries me man,what happens if he plateaus at 60 points a season, is he still worth the contract? If he annually misses 15-20 games due to injury? Would the fans treat him the same as the horcoff contract??? Can a team afford to have 5-6 forwards on 6 mil a piece contracts? Approx 30 million will be needed on the top 5 forwards and if you factor in 2 top defenseman you are looking at somewhere in the 42 to 44 million area. That would only leave approx. 26 million for the rest of the team at the current cap. I just hope that the management team has designed a plan with all these contracts already to make it work if they don't it could get rough.

What if he plateaus at 90 points per season? What if he goes injury free for the next 7 years, will the fans treat him like a God?
Management has a plan.
Your cup is half empty!
Tell'em Wanye.....

What if he plateaus at 90 points per season? What if he goes injury free for the next 7 years, will the fans treat him like a God?
Management has a plan.
Your cup is half empty!
Tell'em Wanye.....

I hear what your saying and I really hope it works out that way but the lack of confidence I have in managment, specifically Tambo, can't be accurately measured. I just have a gut feeling that they will F*ck up the whole design and end up screwing over the team in the process.

I think its a fair contract. I was hoping for more of a bargain (in the fives), and I think we could have got it based on halls statement that he never thought he would make that much. My only fear is what if yakupov or exceed him and find themselves closer to the 7mil threshold. Six time four is manageable, but enough overpays, and you cost yourselves quality depth players.

Photoshop contest: "The Future" - Create an image that envisions what Edmonton and the Oilers will look like in the year 2020 when Taylor Hall is in the last year of his contract. Cyborgs, three breasted women, three breasted chicken breasts, flying cars, flying three breasted cyborg women....? You decide. Be sure to include Taylor Hall and his bazzilions of dollars and stacks of Stanley cups.

Wanye can put all of the submitted images into the online OilersNation Art Gallery along side all of the other photo-shopped images and MS Paint drawings from ON history. Where is the link to the ON Art Gallery, I can't seem to find it...

Considering where Hall is at already , and where he is likely to be over the new contract - i'd say we did well at $6M/season in todays marketplace . Should Eberle get more , less or equal ? Considering where they are at now , and Hall being the younger talent i doubt Eberle will get a contract the equal of Hall .How much less is debateable .

Finally. Some movement by the Tambi-man. I was wondering why it took so long to lock these guys up. Six million per year is not too bad given what we pay Hemsky and Horcoff, and Hall's best years are still ahead of him. I hate to say this and jinx the contract, but there are no reports of any NMT/NTC's which would handicap our next GM, I mean, Tambi down the road in case the deal doesn't work out.

I'm having a hard time believing Tambellini hit the home run ball with this one considering Hall has said he never imagined he'd be seeing that kind of contract. I bet it was as easy as (cue smoke and dreamlike harp music)...

Tambellini: *Looks at Skinner contract. Gulps.* So Taylor, we were thinking about 7 years, sayyyy 6 or so a year. You good with that?

Hall: *Picks himself up off floor, whipes drool from chin* HELLZ YEAHHHH TAMBI!!!!

I'm having a hard time believing Tambellini hit the home run ball with this one considering Hall has said he never imagined he'd be seeing that kind of contract. I bet it was as easy as (cue smoke and dreamlike harp music)...

Tambellini: *Looks at Skinner contract. Gulps.* So Taylor, we were thinking about 7 years, sayyyy 6 or so a year. You good with that?

Hall: *Picks himself up off floor, whipes drool from chin* HELLZ YEAHHHH TAMBI!!!!

Total time for negotiation: 8.47 seconds (give or take a second)

Ya kinda have to agree with you there. When the player comes out and says something like that you have to wonder, did the GM even try to negotiate a better deal? Now combine that with the Sutton and Dubnyk contracts and you really can make an arguement that they really have no clue how to maximize contract values.

I don't see where all the hate for Tambo comes from, I means he isn't a great GM but we added a potential top line forward in our first overall, we added a defenseman who many ppl said had he been drafted this year he would be first or second overall and has potential to be a top 2 defenceman, we resigned the best goalie in the ahl to backup dub in case nik fails hard again, we resigned smytty who is still a quality depth player even if he isnt first line LW anymore. We also signed our best player to a reasonable contract. Just having dubby playing more games after Christmas = more wins. I mean sure it's not all Tambo and some moves were Klowe and macT. If all those moves were made by any other team then the city would be rejoicing, not complaining that we didn't do enough.

I think some of you are dramatically over thinking a general statement a young guy made about never thinking that they would make that kind of money in their life with the professional negotiation of an NHL contract.

First, keep in mind that Hall was not likely involved in the negotiations, but rather that his agent, his lawyer, and various other staff from his agency undertook negotiations. Second, even at his young age, Hall is smart enough to understand that he was going to get a contract in that range.

He's the real deal. Despite the naysayers, maybe including Jason the Strudwick,the guy is a star, the heart of the team. If not now, soon.

If you think RNH, JE, Yak, Schultz the Younger and Klefbom are heart, soul and core going forward, the bar has been set. 6 guys and maybe as much as $36M going forward. In 7 years or so, what % of payroll does this represent? Who knows?

The CBA calls for a roll-back, a Euro collapse spreads globally, the impact of which lasts not years but decades, the Republicans win the next 3 successive federal elections - lotsa stuff to worry about if one is a worrier.Bottom line? Congratulations Oiler braintrust!It's a gamble well worth taking.

Ya kinda have to agree with you there. When the player comes out and says something like that you have to wonder, did the GM even try to negotiate a better deal? Now combine that with the Sutton and Dubnyk contracts and you really can make an arguement that they really have no clue how to maximize contract values.

These players have agents. People paid to be savvy with respect to money, which allows the players to say whatever the hell they want because they aren't the one negotiating. No doubt Hall is amazed by the money, but I will bet that he has a burning desire to show the fans that he is worth every penny. I look forward to seeing that!

I think some of you are dramatically over thinking a general statement a young guy made about never thinking that they would make that kind of money in their life with the professional negotiation of an NHL contract.

First, keep in mind that Hall was not likely involved in the negotiations, but rather that his agent, his lawyer, and various other staff from his agency undertook negotiations. Second, even at his young age, Hall is smart enough to understand that he was going to get a contract in that range.

Exactly. Hall's people were not going to sign a contract much, if at all, south of $6 Mil, giving up three years of UFA eligibility (under this CBA anyway). Pretty decent contract for a #1 overall who, despite a couple injuries, has looked pretty damn good.

I doubt any of those 4 will retire as Oilers.
However, considering how much the very generic 29 year-old D Wideman earns, this deal glows. Eberle, because of draft pedigree, will command less and RNH, for the same reason and because he plays centre, slightly more. Yak is headed to the KHL when the lockout happens and will doubtless meet a nice farm girl with a large dowry of goats and is unlikely to return.Just kidding about Yak so don't get excited.

8 years from now the re-stocking of the Oiler cupboards will commence when Hall is traded to NYR for prospects and picks(hopefully not cash).

Exactly. Hall's people were not going to sign a contract much, if at all, south of $6 Mil, giving up three years of UFA eligibility (under this CBA anyway). Pretty decent contract for a #1 overall who, despite a couple injuries, has looked pretty damn good.

Hall has never scored 60 points.

He's paid more than Tavares and a million more than a Selke winner who has 41 goals on his resume.

Wasn't TH about 0.9 ppg as a 20 yr old in the NHL? On a bad team? Yup - risky bet.

I'm still not convinced that Hall was the right choice at 1st OA, but I'm also very impressed by what he has shown. And looking at players at the $6M mark, I'd take Hall over a lot of others, including Camelhairy.

Hall led his team to 29th place, and Tavares pushed the Isles all the way to 27th! Woo Hoo!

The question is why is everyone questioning Hall and has no problem with Skinner? As was pointed out in a previous blog, Skinner had a career first year playing with Staal and dropped off dramatically last year but everyone is fine with his contract. Hall, had two solid years, improved on his first year in the second and had two freak injuries end his season twice. (plus a third freak injury took him out of a few more games.

As far as I am concerned, this is great news. I am kind of tired of all the doom and gloom. Yes it is possible that Eberle falls back to earth. Yes it is possible that Hall gets injured. Yes it is possible Whitney isn't fully recovered. Yes it is possible that Schultz doesn't cover the bet.

When are at least a few of these pessimists going to realize that:

A: It is possible Hall goes supernova this year.
B: It is possible Eberle maintains his production.
C. It is possible Whitney is healed and fully effective
D. It is possible Schultz covers the bet
E. It is possible Hemsky has a career Year
F. It is possible Dubnyk proves he is a #1

We can all choose to look at the worst and after 6 years of Misery we are entitled. However, I choose to believe that our dues are paid and our time has come.

The new Dynasty is about to arrive. It may not come with the 5 shiny chalices the last one was here with but it sure will have a lot of success and excitement and I am pretty darn sure at least a couple of those shiny cups.

Also, when people talk about Hall saying he never thought he would get that type of money, and ST didn't due a good enough job negotiating. I would believe what he means is that as a kid, growing up, he never expected to get a 42 million dollar contract. I am sure he fully expected to get those types of dollars in the last couple of months. Hall is being gracious, something a lot of the commenters around here know nothing about.